Improvement in steam-brakes for locomotives



J. HIGKEY. Steam-Brake for Loomotives. No. 203,454. Patented May 7, I878.

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WITNESSES 1 INVENTOR NVPETERS PHDTO-LITNOGRAPNER, wAsvuNGrou. 0 C.

2 Sheets-Sfieet 2.

J.. HIGKEY. v I Steam-Brake for Locomotives.

No; 203,454. PatentedMay 7,1878. 'F'IGLS.

WITNEVSSES INVEN'II'OR b TTORNEYS N T-ED QFFICE i JOHN HlCKEY, on sHEBoYcAN, WISCONSIN.

.JIMPROVEMENT 1N STEAM- RAKES FoRLocoMoT vEs.

. pecification forming part of Letters Patent No. dated Ma 7, 1878; application ed i 1 March 15, 1878.. i v i To alkwhomt't may eoa ce mf Be it known that I, .J onNYHIcKE'Y, of She: y en, in t e 01 5? o fi le oy end State of Wisconsin, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Brakes for-Lo.- comotives; and I do hereby de'clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make and use the brake-shoes of both the engine and tender, and

in the manner of supporting and operating the brake-shoes of the engine driving-wheels, all

of which will behereinafter fully explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the driver-wheel and a portion of the engine-frame, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan or top View of a portion of the boiler and platform of an engine, showing the position of the cylinder by which my invention is operated; and Fig. 3 is arear end view of the engine and cab, showing the manner of securing and engaging the system of levers.

a is the cylinder, which is secured in the position shown, so that the piston will have a vertical movement therein. It is secured centrally in the locomotive, and immediately below the foot-board, and behind the rear axle, and takes steam or compressed air at the bottom by a short pipe connecting with a suitablyconstructed cock under the control of the engineer. The piston, with its rod to, is forced upward by the steam in the act of setting the brakes, and when the steam is cut off it drops by its own weight to the lower end of the cylinder.

1T0 the end of the arm c attached the na of the rod 2 which connects with andsets the brakes. of the tender. To the end of the under arm (1 on the rock-shaft cl, is pivoted, at. its I center, the intermediate or transverse equalizmg-bar e, to the outer ends of which are attached the rods f f, which extend forward and connect with the brake-levers arranged between the driver-wheels A A.

g is a lever pivoted to the end of the rod f, and extends upward between the driverwheels, and is pivoted near its upper end on a pin, 9, affixed on the engine-carriage.

Affixed to the lever g, immediately above and below the pivotal point g, are the arms or bars h h, which connect with the upper ends of the brake-levers i z. The lower ends of the brake-levers i i are connected by a suitable joint to the rear of the shoes is k. The levers t are bent near their lower ends, as shown, and are joined together by a fulcrumrod, m, which is so constructed that it may be lengthened or shortened by means of a nut, m. The rod m being connected to points intermediate between the ends of levers z, with the shoes 70 k on the lower ends of said levers i, as shown,

permits greater 'freedom of the shoes, gives 7 greater elasticity to the shoes, and causes the latter to act with greater promptness and effectiveness. The shoes are suspended on hangers n n, the upper ends of which :are pivoted on pins on the carriage.

If steam or compressed air be let on, the piston will be driven to the upper end of the cylinder, the bar I) will be raised, and equal or vice versa.

equalizing-bars which distribute the pressure equally on the wheels, readily adjust themselves by expansion and compression to every irregularity of the track, allowing the engine, when the brakes are set, to have its proper movement on the springs, and so that the engine will ride with the same ease as when the brakes are oif.

A drip-valve is provided for and inserted in the lower end of the cylinder.

In this device I have furnished a cheap and substantial steam-brake for locomotive engines, one in which all of the numerous objections to such devices have been overcome, All springs for the operation of the piston in releasing the brakes are dispensed with. I Various changes may be made in the devices above described, and in their arrangement and combination. The small steam-cylinder, for instance, may be bolted to the fire-box, (where the space will admit) or at any other convenient point on the engine or tender.

The point of connection between the piston and longitudinal bar b can also be moved toward one end or the other of said bar, as the brake pressure is desired to be greater on the engine-drivers than on the tender-wheels,

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In alocomotive, the combination, with the single cylinder at, piston-rod a, and rods f and c and the brake-shoes of both engine and tender, of the intermediate systems of expanding levers and equalizing-bars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In alocomotive, the combination, with the brakes of the engine and the cylinder at and piston-rod a, of the equalizing-bar b, rockshaft 0 d, equalizing-bar e, and rods f, all arranged and connected to operate substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, withicylinder a, and the brake-shoes is, suspended on hangers-n, of the levers i '5, connected together intermediately between their ends by the fulcrum-rod m, arms h h, and lever'g, all arranged as described, and connected by rods f and other suitable devices with the piston-rod, substantially as set forth. Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN HIGKEY.

Witnesses:

W. 0. ST. SURE, GEO. ST. SURE. 

